The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-03-26
HOTEL HOLOCAUST.
Ahe hlchmond Hotel, Buffalo, in Ruins
Many Lives Lost.

-iaHS Lives Lost.
BUFFALO, n. Y, March 18.-An-
other calamity has visited Buffalo.
The splendid New Richmond Hotel, at
the corner of Main and Eagle Streets,
and extending through to Washing
tor Street, was totally destroyed by
lire which was discovered at $50 this
morning, together with st. James
Hall and other adjacent property.
The most distressing part OF the dis.
aster ls the loss OF several human
lives. At this writing 10 A. M it is
impossible to say just how many per-
sons are killed and injured, but the
number is large. This rapidity OF the
fre, cutting off means Of escape, led
aonle persons to leap for life from the
windows. Others got down the fire
escapes or on Hayes ladders raised
Sy the fire department.
The spread of the flames is said TO
have been frightful in it's rapidity.
The elevator shaft served as fue for
the flames, and they rushed up to the
top floor IN q very few moments. As
the guests were reused and saw the
interior exits cut of, they turned to
she windows. They could be seen in
their nightclothes standing out clear
AMI vivid before the lurid back.
ground OF the flames. Their screams
we're horrible to hear, and they could
be heard for blocks. The flames
spread to the southeast side OF the
hotel first. The fremen did noble
work, and confined the fire to the mar
row limits OF the three buildings
named. Their work OF rescue had
many exciting incidents. The tele.
graph wires were as usu / in the way
OF the ladder brigade, and much valu-
able time was lost in getting the lad
ceTs past them.
THE SHRTEEs AND CRIES
OF the people in the upper stories of
the burning structure were heartrend-
Ing. One man, mad with terror, leap
ed from third story window and was
picked up from the stone sidewalk
on Main Street mangled and bleed
ing corpse. Several who succeeded in
making their escape were badly iniur.
ed and burned, and some of these will
probably die. Others, more fortu-
nate, escaped with slight injuries.
Many OF the wounded were taken to
Carney's saloon and afterwards to
hospitals. Among these was T. H.
Bryant, New York travelling man,
burned about the feet and hands; NJ
w. Barse, OF Olean, terribly burned
about the hands and wrists; Robert
Stafford, senior proprietor of the ho-
tel With his vile occupied rooms on
the second floor and had q narrow es.
cape. Terror oyercame everybody
snd even those who escaped in safety,
were IN many casss prostrated by
their awful experiences. At O'Clock
the estimate OF the loss of life was
stated to be II, but this is, in meas
ure, mere guess work. There were 125
persons in the hotel, 20 ofwhom were
transient guests, eight boarders and
the remainder porters, bell-boys, the
families OF the proprietors and clerks.
Twenty-Five of these were rescued
from windows by the firemsn, TWEEN
ty two are at the hospitals, and q
large number made their escape by
other means.
SPREAD OF THE FLAMES.
William H. Airport, night clerk,
states that he was sitting in the Office
at $40 O'Clock when he saw a refec-
ton on the floor. Turning round he
discovered a blaze in the coat and
cloak room directly under the stair
Say on the main floor. The flames
1T once darted up the elevator shaft
with tremendous force, and in an in
credibly short space of time the in
terror OF the hotel was filed with
smoke and fame. Then terrible
scenes began. The second and third
alarms brought the entire fire depart
ment to the scene, but ii was impos-
sible to save any portion OF the
structure. The fire had reached the
roof IN less than five minutes from the
time it was discovered. It soon
reached and Quilted St. James Hall,
occupied as Bunnell's Museum, and
Tvoli Hall adjoining, and fronting on
Washington Street.
The fire, which was under control
by O'Clock, was confined to the
Richmond Hotel and museum prop
erty, together with the saloon OF
James Creighton and the cigar store
OF ]. c. Palacio, on the Main Street
side. The Main Street stores of the
Richmond Hotel were occupied by u
brich & ngsley, booksellers and sta
tioners; Peter Paul & Brothers, in the
same line of business, and Fuller 4
Townsend, proprietors OF the Boston
clothing store. The stocks in these
stores were totally destroyed, entail
ing heavy losses.
As usual, the fremen were hampered
terribly by the mass of telegraph
wires and cables strung in front OF the
building on Main Street. Some eye
witnesses think the loss OF life was
largely due to the delay caused by the